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Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure review: Back to the future
Tex Murphy would make Dick Tracy proud. More of a "sunny-side up" detective than a hard-boiled one, Murphy protects and serves his friends in the post-nuclear WWIII city of New San Francisco with a pleasant blend of grit and goofiness. He may have been out of the game – and out of games – for some time now, but his return feels like he never missed a beat, even when the journey gets a little bumpy. For those just getting acquainted, Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure is a successfully Kickstarted entry in the Tex Murphy series of adventure games which began in 1989. The series came to be known partly for its use of full-motion video (FMV), where game designer Chris Jones took on the role of the titular gumshoe, Tex Murphy. Tesla Effect is the sixth entry in the series, and once again features FMV performances for its cutscenes. Yes, a game in 2014 is using FMV cutscenes. It's retro and a bit dorky, but it's also fun to see real people surrounded by CG environments that are not at all convincing. Jones reprises his role as Murphy, albeit a version of Murphy with 16 years' worth of mileage on display – the previous Tex Murphy game, Overseer, released in 1998.
Tesla Effect slinks back into the shadows for now, out May 7
Full-motion space quest Tesla Effect isn't touching down today as planned, after dev Big Finish Games decided to hold it back a couple of weeks for some finishing touches. The PC and Mac game's new release date is May 7, when it will come to GOG.com and Steam. Players can expect another serving of near-future ham and cheese in Tex Murphy's returning adventure, which sees the hapless gumshoe wrestling with more murders, more secrets and more trouble with the ladies. Also, he's managed to forget the last seven years of his life, which proves to be somewhat of a bummer. Tesla Effect charges a regular price of $20, but pre-orders are going for $18 and come with previous entry The Pandora Detective and the game's Tex Murphy Live Jazz soundtrack. [Image: Atlus]
Tesla Effect trailer is eight minutes of live-action, full-motion cheddar
Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure promises "full motion video the way it was meant to be seen," and after this trailer, I'm inclined to agree. Big Finish Games' revival of the near-future detective looks to play to the series' roots, mixing ham-tastic acting with dollops of sardonic humor. Next-gen tech may be nearly here, but Tesla Effect wants to drag me back to the 1990s, and I want to let it. Hopefully Tesla Effect will deliver on its promise when Atlus publishes it on PC and Mac in Q1 2014. Check out all eight minutes for an introduction to the cast, and an example of the game's dialogue wheel in action.
Atlus publishing Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure in early 2014
The successfully Kickstarted Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure has its private eye on PC and Mac early next year, thanks to newly announced publisher Atlus. The sci-fi gumshoe's revival achieved just under $600,000 in funding a year ago, back when it was known as Project Fedora. Now developer Big Finish Games has a big name publisher to help it "more fully" realize its vision for Tex's new outing. In an update on the Project Fedora Kickstarter page, creator Chris Jones said support from Atlus will include play-testing the game every week and "more polish" in the final product, as well as greater opportunities for coverage and distribution. It should mean a few more sexy FMV trailers, we'd imagine.
Tex Murphy may be revived as a Kickstarter proposal
Before we say anything here, make sure you've got a firm grasp on your wallet because it might just jump out of your pocket. The odds are very good that Tex Murphy is coming back in a new game ... funded by Kickstarter. Whoa there! Hang on to that wallet, there's no place to spend your money just yet, kid!As announced by the trailer above, Big Finish Games indeed has plans to start up a Kickstarter page on May 15, and try to round up fan-based funding for a sixth game in the fondly remembered full-motion video adventure series. What they're asking for right now is ideas on what to offer in the Kickstarter campaign, as well as written or video testimonials from fans extolling the series' virtues, to be delivered to the company's contact page.On May 15, the page is supposed to go live, and at that point you can donate to your heart's content. Chris Jones, who both designed the games and plays Tex Murphy himself, is obviously on board, because you can see him mugging in character with the latest People magazine right there in the video.
